Tallahassee, FL-Attornies for an Olympian and FSU track member caught up in a shooting incident say their client is innocent and they have the evidence to prove it.

Surveillance footage taken from a night club is what attorney Don Pumphrey Jr. says proves client, Joshua Mance, is innocent.

The video shows Mance using a passport to enter the Moon just after midnight on his twenty-first birthday. Proof Pumphrey says shows Mance had no reason to carry a fake ID.

“The Tallahassee Police Department needs to issue a letter of apology to this young man and they need to do a further investigation,” said Don Pumphrey Jr of the Law Firm of Pumphrey and Prince.

Police arrested Mance after shots were fired near the Campus Walk Apartments. He’s charged with resisting arrest without violence and having a fake ID. Charges Mance denies. He says the only IDs he had on him at the time were his passport and student ID. IDs which this video shows Mance using just hours before to get into a club.

“They don’t know what belongs to who and they just falsely put that identification on me,” said Mance.

Mance also took a lie detector test administered by the former chief examiner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He passed. Mance says the charges have tarnished his reputation as an Olympic athlete.

“It’s done a lot of damage to my name. More than anything I just want the truth to be out,” said Mance.

Mance’s teammate Stephen Newbold was also arrested for the incident. Both men have been suspended from the FSU track team.

The state’s attorney’s office has declined to comment at this time until all the evidence is received.
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By: Mike Springer
March 21, 2013

Tallahassee, FL – Two members of the Florida State University’s track and field team have been suspended from the team as they face criminal charges.

FSU track members Ronell Mance and Stephen Newbold have won their share of accolades on the track.

Mance won sliver medal in the 4×400 relay at the 2012 Olympic Games and Newbold was the MVP at the recent ACC indoor track and field championship.

On Thursday, both were suspended from the team following their alleged involvement in an incident near an off-campus apartment complex.

“This is an apartment complex. You never know where those bullets are going to go. Anybody could be injured. It’s a very dangerous situation,” said David Northway, spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department.

Tallahassee Police responded to the area near the Campus Walk Apartments after getting multiple reports of people in the area hearing gunshots.

“The officers arrived on scene, got out of their car and approached on foot, walking toward the pool area, lo and behold here comes some gentlemen from the pool area,” said Northway.

Police say they stopped the group of men, which included Mance, who officer say refused to be searched.

Police say they later found a fake ID on Mance once they did search him.

Police say Mance’s teammate, Newbold, ran away but was later tracked down and arrested.

Those who live nearby say they’re surprised by what happened.

“It makes me a little uneasy and maybe a little concerned for my safety, but again there far and few between so I’m not 100 percent worried about it,” said Larry McDonough who lives nearby.

No one was hurt in the incident. Police say there wasn’t any damage to the property either.

Both men are charged with resisting arrest without violence.

Newbold is also charged with discharging a firearm in public. He is expected to appear in court Friday.

Mance is out on bond. He also charged with being in possession of a fake ID .

———————————– Press Release: FSU Athletic Director

Florida State Athletics releases the following statement by Director of Athletics Randy Spetman regarding the included probable cause reports:

“We are aware of the arrests and are working to gather all the facts. The students have been suspended from the team effective immediately. Whether they can return as student-athletes will be determined through our discipline policy and any legal proceedings.”
Randy Spetman

Tallahassee, FL – Two Florida State University track and field student athletes have been arrested.

Stephen Newbold has been arrested for discharging a weapon in public and resisting an officer without violence.

Ronell Mance has been arrested for resisting an officer without violence and possessing a fraudulent ID.

Tallahassee, FL – According to Dave Northway with the Tallahassee Police Department, a Florida State University student athlete has been arrested for discharging a firearm.